Phys.org: Phys.org news tagged with: nitrogenhttp://phys.org/
en-usPhys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.Scientists discover animal-like urea cycle in tiny diatoms in the oceanScientists have discovered that marine diatoms, tiny phytoplankton abundant in the sea, have an animal-like urea cycle, and that this cycle enables the diatoms to efficiently use carbon and nitrogen from their environment.http://phys.org/news224337072.html
BiologyWed, 11 May 2011 13:00:53 EDTnews224337072Nitrogen research shows how some plants invade, take over othersBiologists know that when plants battle for space, often the actual battle is for getting the nitrogen.http://phys.org/news166120181.html
BiologyMon, 06 Jul 2009 18:30:03 EDTnews166120181New method for detecting nitroxyl will boost cardiac drug researchWake Forest University scientists have developed a new research tool in the pursuit of heart medications based on the compound nitroxyl by identifying unique chemical markers for its presence in biological systems.http://phys.org/news166081501.html
ChemistryMon, 06 Jul 2009 07:20:01 EDTnews166081501New insights, and a new angle, on high-temperature superconductivity(PhysOrg.com) -- A Princeton-led research team has revealed surprising information about how electron behavior influences the conduction of electricity in a class of high-temperature superconductors. An increased understanding of this mechanism could one day transform a number of technologies, including the transmission of electrical power.http://phys.org/news165511195.html
PhysicsMon, 29 Jun 2009 16:20:36 EDTnews165511195Study highlights massive imbalances in global fertilizer use(PhysOrg.com) -- Synthetic fertilizers have dramatically increased food production worldwide. But the unintended costs to the environment and human health have been substantial. Nitrogen runoff from farms has contaminated surface and groundwater and helped create massive “dead zones” in coastal areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico. And ammonia from fertilized cropland has become a major source of air pollution, while emissions of nitrous oxide form a potent greenhouse gas.http://phys.org/news164918496.html
EarthMon, 22 Jun 2009 20:20:01 EDTnews164918496Study of agricultural watersheds and carbon lossesDissolved organic carbon (DOC) losses from tile drains are an underquantified portion of the terrestrial carbon cycle. This is particularly important in the eastern corn belt where tile drainage dominates the agricultural landscape. Specific land management practices, such as manure application, can play a large role in the export of DOC as soluble organic carbon is applied to or injected into the soil surface. As animal agriculture intensifies in the upper Midwest, measuring DOC exported through tile drains is important when evaluating carbon budgets and carbon sequestration potential.http://phys.org/news164639559.html
EarthFri, 19 Jun 2009 14:51:03 EDTnews164639559Study highlights massive imbalances in global fertilizer useSynthetic fertilizers have dramatically increased food production worldwide. But the unintended costs to the environment and human health have been substantial. Nitrogen runoff from farms has contaminated surface and groundwater and helped create massive "dead zones" in coastal areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico. And ammonia from fertilized cropland has become a major source of air pollution, while emissions of nitrous oxide form a potent greenhouse gas.http://phys.org/news164553776.html
EarthThu, 18 Jun 2009 14:23:17 EDTnews164553776Scientists sequence genome of the N2-fixing, soil-living bacterium Azotobacter vinelandiiA collaboration of researchers, which includes scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) and Virginia Tech, have completed the genome sequence of Azotobacter vinelandii, uncovering important genetic information that will contribute to a more complete understanding of the biology of this versatile, soil-living bacterium. The work will help advance research on A. vinelandii's role as a model study organism for investigation of nitrogen fixation and other biochemical processes. It will also pave the way for new applications in biotechnology, including the possible use of A. vinelandii as a "factory" for the production of other proteins, in particular those that may be damaged by the presence of oxygen.http://phys.org/news164461475.html
BiologyWed, 17 Jun 2009 12:44:55 EDTnews164461475Newly discovered snow roots are 'evolutionary phenomenon'It may not be the Yeti, but in a remote region of the Russian mountains a previously unknown and entirely unique form of plant root has been discovered. Lead Scientist Professor Hans Cornelissen and his Russian-Dutch team describe this finding today in Ecology Letters.http://phys.org/news163988604.html
BiologyFri, 12 Jun 2009 03:30:01 EDTnews163988604New proxy reveals how humans have disrupted the nitrogen cycleMore and more, scientists are getting a better grip on the nitrogen cycle. They are learning about sources of nitrogen and how this element changes as it loops from the nonliving, such as the atmosphere, soil or water, to the living, whether plants or animals. Scientists have determined that humans are disrupting the nitrogen cycle by altering the amount of nitrogen that is stored in the biosphere.http://phys.org/news163344321.html
EarthThu, 04 Jun 2009 14:28:56 EDTnews163344321Ethanol production could jeopardize soil productivityThere is growing interest in using crop residues as the feedstock of choice for the production of cellulosic-based ethanol because of the more favorable energy output relative to grain-based ethanol. This would also help provide a solution to the debate of food versus fuel, because less of the grain would be diverted to ethanol production, leaving more available for food and feed consumption.http://phys.org/news163159091.html
EarthTue, 02 Jun 2009 10:58:36 EDTnews163159091New rotors could help develop nanoscale generators(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the University of Liverpool have developed a molecular structure that could help create current-generating machines at the nanoscale.http://phys.org/news162640123.html
NanotechnologyWed, 27 May 2009 10:49:13 EDTnews162640123Scientists test superjet technology in AustraliaAustralian and US scientists have successfully tested hypersonic aircraft technology which could revolutionise international flight, officials said.http://phys.org/news162184185.html
TechnologyFri, 22 May 2009 04:10:19 EDTnews162184185Double trouble for water lifeExcess phosphorus and nitrogen produced by human activities on neighboring land is making its way into our coastal waters and degrading both water quality and aquatic life. Although historically the priority has been to control phosphorus, Professor Hans Paerl, from the University of North Carolina in the US, argues that nitrogen imbalance is equally damaging. He adds that a dual nutrient strategy - tackling both phosphorus and nitrogen surplus - is necessary to manage effectively this nutrient over-enrichment and resulting habitat degradation of coastal waters in the long-term. His perspective is published online in Springer's journal Estuaries and Coasts.http://phys.org/news161871031.html
EarthMon, 18 May 2009 13:11:22 EDTnews161871031Hubble Photographs a Planetary Nebula to Commemorate Decommissioning of Super Camera(PhysOrg.com) -- The Hubble community bids farewell to the soon-to-be decommissioned Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 onboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. In tribute to Hubble's longest-running optical camera, which was developed and built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., a planetary nebula has been imaged as the camera's final "pretty picture."http://phys.org/news161276661.html
Astronomy & SpaceMon, 11 May 2009 16:04:51 EDTnews161276661Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test measures microbial nitrogenContrary to the prevailing view, cereal crops derive the majority of their nitrogen from the soil, not fertilizer. Soils differ considerably in microbial activities that determine nitrogen-supplying power, and these differences must be taken into account if nitrogen fertilizers are to be used efficiently.http://phys.org/news161256687.html
EarthMon, 11 May 2009 10:31:51 EDTnews161256687Food security: It starts with seedWith each passing year, the human population of our planet continues to expand. This growth has created a wide ranging strain on our water and soil resources, as well as our environment, creating an unprecedented urgency to address the issue of food security. One way that scientists are working towards this goal is through the genetic modification of seeds, both as a method of improving crop yields as well as enhancing the nutritional composition of foods. A new book published by American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America addresses the issue of seed modification for the improvement of food sources around the world.http://phys.org/news160656148.html
BiologyMon, 04 May 2009 11:44:06 EDTnews160656148Gene-altering compounds released from forest firesScientists in Washington State are reporting the first discovery of potent mutagenic substances in smoke from forest fires that often sweep through huge stands of Ponderosa pine in the western United States and Canada. http://phys.org/news160233080.html
EarthWed, 29 Apr 2009 14:11:38 EDTnews160233080Coke Bottle Quantum Physics(PhysOrg.com) -- Don't be fooled by the collection of empty soda bottles in James Cryan's office at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Cryan isn't a caffeine fiend—the cola bottles are for science. As a graduate student with the PULSE Institute for Ultrafast Energy Science, he is studying how nitrogen gas responds to stimulation by an optical laser, and he needed a container for the gas. Instead of ordering a cell and waiting for it to arrive, Cryan cast about for something close at hand—and happened upon one of the empty Coke bottles on his desk. http://phys.org/news159123961.html
PhysicsThu, 16 Apr 2009 18:06:43 EDTnews159123961Chemists synthesize herbal alkaloidThe club moss Lycopodium serratum is a creeping, flowerless plant used in homeopathic medicine to treat a wide variety of ailments. It contains a potent brew of alkaloids that have attracted considerable scientific and medical interest. However, the plant makes many of these compounds in extremely low amounts, hindering efforts to test their therapeutic value.http://phys.org/news159037185.html
ChemistryWed, 15 Apr 2009 18:01:03 EDTnews159037185'Natural' nitrogen-fixing bacteria protect soybeans from aphidsAn invasion of soybean aphids poses a problem for soybean farmers requiring application of pesticides, but a team of Penn State entomologists thinks a careful choice of nitrogen-fixing bacteria may provide protection against the sucking insects.http://phys.org/news158926862.html
BiologyTue, 14 Apr 2009 11:23:04 EDTnews158926862Chemists uncover 'green' catalysts with promise for cheaper drug production(PhysOrg.com) -- A University of Toronto research team from the Department of Chemistry has discovered useful "green" catalysts made from iron that might replace the much more expensive and toxic platinum metals typically used in industrial chemical processes to produce drugs, fragrances and flavours.http://phys.org/news158856665.html
ChemistryMon, 13 Apr 2009 15:51:40 EDTnews158856665New images of marine microbe illuminate carbon and nitrogen fixationTrichodesmium is unusual among marine microbes because it both "breathes" carbon dioxide like plants, while also taking nitrogen gas from the air and "fixing" it into a fertilizer of the seas.http://phys.org/news157653960.html
EarthMon, 30 Mar 2009 17:46:31 EDTnews157653960Two 'new' greenhouse gases growingTwo new greenhouse gases are accumulating in the atmosphere, according to an international research team led by scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the US and CSIRO scientist, Dr Paul Fraser, from the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research.http://phys.org/news157108592.html
EarthTue, 24 Mar 2009 10:17:04 EDTnews157108592City buses turn to sewage for 'clean' fuelCan the key to "clean" energy be found down in the sewer? That's the idea in Oslo, where city officials soon plan to introduce buses that run on biofuels extracted from human waste.http://phys.org/news156914737.html
TechnologySun, 22 Mar 2009 04:26:35 EDTnews156914737Carbon Nanotube Artificial Muscles for Extreme Temperatures(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the UT Dallas Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute have demonstrated a fundamentally new type of artificial muscle, which can operate at extreme temperatures where no other artificial muscle can be used -- from below the temperature of liquid nitrogen (-196° C) to above the melting point of iron (1538° C). http://phys.org/news156781465.html
NanotechnologyFri, 20 Mar 2009 15:25:48 EDTnews156781465Mighty diatoms: Global climate feedback from microscopic algaeTiny creatures at the bottom of the food chain called diatoms suck up nearly a quarter of the atmosphere's carbon dioxide, yet research by Michigan State University scientists suggests they could become less able to "sequester" that greenhouse gas as the climate warms. The microscopic algae are a major component of plankton living in puddles, lakes and oceans.http://phys.org/news156513486.html
BiologyTue, 17 Mar 2009 12:58:45 EDTnews156513486Tree species composition influences nitrogen loss from forestsThroughout the world, nitrogen compounds are released to the atmosphere from agricultural activities and combustion of fossil fuels. These pollutants are deposited to ecosystems as precipitation, gases, and particles, sometimes many hundreds of miles downwind of their release point. The Catskill Mountains of southeastern New York are a case in point—though they contain little in the way of industrial or agricultural pollution sources, they receive some of the highest nitrogen deposition rates in North America due to pollutants drifting in from midwestern power plants and east-coast cities.http://phys.org/news156434150.html
BiologyMon, 16 Mar 2009 14:56:48 EDTnews156434150Trading carats for nanometers - and defective diamonds for crystal clear microscopy(PhysOrg.com) -- Large, perfect diamonds are precious to almost all of us but to some scientists, it is the defects that really matter. This is because defects can form nanoscopic color centers, which play a key role in the development of both quantum computing and quantum cryptography. A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen has now probed these color centers inside the crystal with unprecedented resolution using an optical microscope. Using STED microscopy, the scientists identified even densely packed color centers and determined their position inside the crystal with a precision better than 0.15 nanometers, corresponding to the dimension of an atom. (Nature Photonics, 22nd February 2009).
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PhysicsMon, 02 Mar 2009 16:33:30 EDTnews155233957Commercial ships spew half as much particulate pollution as world's carsGlobally, commercial ships emit almost half as much particulate pollution into the air as the total amount released by cars, according to a new study. Ship pollutants affect both the Earth's climate and the health of people living along coastlines.http://phys.org/news154878659.html
EarthThu, 26 Feb 2009 13:51:37 EDTnews154878659